Lk 2:49 EN TOIS ... (Luke in Codex Bezae issue)

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Sep 26 16:09:34 EDT 2002


At 10:10 AM -0400 9/26/02, Polycarp66 at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 9/26/2002 7:14:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu writes:
>
>>Reply to George Somsel
>>>NA27 : OUK HDEITE hOTI EN TOIS TOU PATROS MOU DEI EINAI ME
>>>>D05, W : OUK OIDATE hOTI EN TOIS TOU PATROS MOU DEI ME EINAI.
>>
>>>I may be "putting my foot in it" here, but I think I will agree with you
>>>that TOIS would seem to refer to DIDASKALWN in v 46 whether or not one
>>>concedes that EINAI has an existential sense.
>>
>>Then the question to be asked is: Why the choice of TOIS in preference to
>>another pronoun?
>>
>>> When reference is made to the temple it is EN TWi hIERWi, a singular.
>>
>>Precisely what are you alluding to?
>>
>
>
>The usual translation (in English) for Lk 2.49 is "I must be in my
>Father's house" or "I must be about my Father's business."  Since EN TWi
>hIERWi is singular, TOIS being plural would seem to exclude that
>understanding.  "My Father's business [NASB footnote "affairs"] would be a
>possibility.  On the other hand, it could also refer to TWN DIDASKALWN in
>v. 46 which would then yield "I must be among my father's teachers" (not
>those who teach God, but those who teach for God).

Frankly I don't believe that is really a viable option. The neuter singular
or plural article with a genitive is so common in the sense "things having
to do with" or "matters concerning" that I can't but think that is by far
the most likely sense here, rather than that DIDASKALOI should be implied
from the earlier verse. And according to BDAG on substantive usage of the
neuter plural: EMOS

	g. The art. w. the gen. foll. denotes a relation of kinship,
ownership, or dependence: ... -TO, TA TINOS someone's things, affairs,
circumstances (Thu. 4, 83 TA TOU ARRIBAIOU; Parthenius 1, 6; Appian, Syr.
16 §67 TA RWMAIWN) TA TOU QEOU, TWN ANQRWPWN Mt 16:23; 22:21; {p. 689} Mk
8:33; cp. 1 Cor 2:11. TA THS SARKOS, TOU PNEUMATOS Ro 8:5; cp. 14:19; 1 Cor
7:33f; 13:11. TA hUMWN 2 Cor 12:14. TA THS ASQENEIAS MOU 11:30. TA TOU
NOMOU what the law requires Ro 2:14. TO THS SUKHS what has been done to the
fig tree Mt 21:21; cp. 8:33. TA hEAUTHS its own advantage 1 Cor 13:5; cp.
Phil 2:4, 21. TO THS PAROIMIAS what the proverb says 2 Pt 2:22 (Pla.,
Theaet. 183e TO TOU hOMHROU; Menand., Dyscolus 633 TO TOU LOGOU). EN TOIS
TOU PATROS MOU in my Father's house (so Field, Notes 50-56; Goodsp. Probs.
81-83; difft., 'interests', PTemple, CBQ 1, '39, 342-52.-In contrast to the
other synoptists, Luke does not elsewhere show Jesus 'at home'.) Lk 2:49
(Lysias 12, 12 EIS TA TOU ADELFOU v; Theocr. 2, 76 TA LUKWNOS; pap in
Mayser II [1926] p. 8; POxy 523, 3 [II AD] an invitation to a dinner EN
TOIS KLAUDIOU SARAPIWNOS; PTebt 316 II, 23 [99 AD] EN TOIS PATAMWNOS; Esth
7:9; Job 18:19; Jos., Ant. 16, 302. Of the temple of a god Jos., C. Ap. 1,
118 EN TOIS TOU DIOS). Mt 20:15 is classified here by WHatch, ATR 26, '44,
250-53; s. also EMOS b.

-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
Most months:: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



More information about the B-Greek mailing list